email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 160 November Oxford’s Music Magazine 2008 OnOn TargetTarget ForFor RockRock GloryGlory AA SILENTSILENT FILMFILM NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 NEWNEWSS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] Online: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net NIGHTSHIFT’S WEBSITE has Tuesday 18th November. The undergone a major overhaul this event, organised by Generator month, making it easier to read the Project co-ordinator Paul Reed, magazine online and discuss local runs from 2-4pm and takes the music matters. Nightshift is form of an interactive discussion of available to read online in PDF topics such as getting established, format every month, plus there are costing and financial management, archive issues going back to 2005 promotion and marketing, venue available to browse. The management, licensing, dealing with ISIS will play a rare UK show at the Regal next month. The hugely th messageboard has been completely agents, artist liaison and influential Californian post-metal titans come to Oxford on Monday 8 revamped and visitors can now production. For full details of the December, one of only four UK shows, including an apperance at All easily join up to the forum and afternoon, visit Tomorrow’s Parties. Tickets for the show, are on sale now, priced post whatever pearls of wisdom www.generator.org.uk or phone £12.50, from wegottickets.com they want. Or just moan about Paul on 0191 245 0099. stuff. Go to at the Jericho Tavern next month. occasional Sunnyvale guitarist, nightshift.oxfordmusic.net. FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND hold a This year’s event, in conjunction Giles Borg and follows the trials of special signing session and fans with Swiss Concrete and Coo Coo an up and coming band trying to FOALS have added a second night meet and greet at Tiger Lily ahead Club, features 22 acts playing over make it in the music industry. at the Academy to their tour in of their Academy gig on Saturday the weekend of the 13th/14th Sunnyvale make a couple of cameo December after the first show sold 1st November. The welsh emo December. Acts already confirmed appearances, while The Half out. The local stars will now play heroes will be at the store in New are, Alphabet Backwards Rabbits have two songs featured on on Thursday 11th December as well Road (close to the central library) (acoustic), The Black Hats, Aidan the soundtrack. The film premiered as Friday 12th. Tickets for the new between 5.30 and 6.30pm. Visit Canaday, Danny Chivers, Les at last month’s London Film show are on sale from www.tiger-lily.com for more Clochards, Cogwheel Dogs, Cyrus, Festival. More details on it can be wegottickets.com or from the details. Dear Landlord, The Gullivers, found at Academy box office. Hollow, King Of Cats, Mephisto www.1234themovie.co.uk. The RICHARD THOMPSON plays a Grande, The Middle Ones, The Half Rabbits, meanwhile, are THE HOLD STEADY were special show at the New Theatre Mile High Young Team, The currently recording their debut forced to cancel their gig at the on Saturday 7th February next year Mountain Parade, Night Portraits, album for release early next year. Academy last month after guitarist as part of a tour celebrating 1,000 Secret Rivals, Sketchbeat and The Tad Kubler was hospitalised with years of popular music. The Wookies. Music runs from 3pm-12 AS EVER, don’t forget to tune pancreatitis. The Oxford show was legendary folk singer and guitarist midnight both days. Admission is into BBC Oxford Introducing due to be the band’s first of a UK will play songs from the early £5 per day, or £3 before 3pm. A every Saturday evening between tour. The gig has now been middle ages to the present day, limited number of weekend tickets, 6-7pm on 95.2fm. The dedicated rescheduled for Monday 8th taking in everything from Gilbert & priced £7, are on sale now local music show featured the best December. All tickets remain valid, Sullivan and Nat King Cole to The fromwegottickets.com. new Oxford releases, plus with more on sale, priced £14, from Who and Nelly Furtado. Tickets interviews with local and touring wegottickets.com or the Academy for the show are on sale now, THE HALF RABBITS and bands, a demo competition and a box office. priced £20, on 0844 847 1585. Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Elements are local gig and club guide. The show both included in a new film released is also available to listen to THE WHEATSHEAF hosts a free GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES this month. ‘1234’ is written and online all week at bbc.co.uk/ live music promotion workshop on host their annual Weekend Warmer directed by film-maker, and oxford. HAMISH FERGUSON 1963 - 2008 Tributes have been paid to local musician Hamish Ferguson, who has died of cancer, aged 45. Hamish was a popular and prominent figure on the Oxford scene through the 1980s and 90s, firstly with The Hulas, the band he formed with promoter and ATL singer Mac, before he joined local legends The Anyways in 1990. Subsequently he formed Lucky & The Losers and Botley. More recently Hamish worked as a chiropractor. Speaking about his friend and former Anyways bandmate, Relationships singer Richard Ramage said, “Hamish joined The Anyways in 1990, bringing his Telecaster twang and rippling 12-string to the (1960s, revolutionary) party. We levitated the Pentagon and celebrated Arthur Lee, the Byrds and long-haired country music, enlightening anoraked C-86 audiences in London and Brighton, supporting Ride at the Apollo, and recording a sparkling (if inevitably unreleased) album at Dungeon Studios. Hamish and Anyways keyboard star Karen left to form Lucky and The Losers, pursuing an abiding mission to spread the country-rock gospel... latterly, as his health problems increased, Hamish gave up the guitar in favour of working as a chiropractor (treating, among others, Relationships drummer Tim Turan). He was a complex character, who could change at the flip of a plectrum from quiet recluse to the rocking-est party-goer in the precinct...a natural rebel, he was also intensely loyal to friends and family. Ultimately he will be remembered - and missed - by many, as a fiercely talented guitarist, singer and songwriter, and a man of great warmth and multiple enthusiasms. Here’s to you, Hamish!” Mac too paid tribute to Hamish: “Hooch was a lovely fella, and a top player; he’ll be sorely missed. When we formed The Hulas the whole band revolved around his most excellent country blues twang style. That and Thunderbird wine.” Nightshift extends its deepest sympathies to all of Hamish’s family and friends. A quiet word with A SILENT FILM Are you happy to stay with them, or could you foresee a situation where a bigger label might come in for you? “We’re very happy with Xtra Mile; their roster just keeps getting better. Bigger labels are a nightmare right now anyway; they’re all losing money hand over fist and do not seem willing to spend time and money developing artists any more. They either see you doing something exceptional they want, or they see the ‘potential’, which if censored and dressed up smart enough might sell as many records as such and such. We have to earn our stripes first before we ever consider jumping onto that hay- ride.” A PREVIOUS TRADEMARK OF “THE BEST THING THAT CAN than earned their dues on the local crafted pop that’s at once accessible A Silent Film’s live shows was happen to you is the unexpected. I scene, firstly with pop-punk and radio friendly, but also invested Robert’s use of a book onstage know exactly what I’m aiming for scamps Shouting Myke, before with romantic soul. Robert is whose pages were projected behind when I start writing but I’m always forming A Silent Film along with understandably proud of the album, the band, telling the stories of the hoping for that piece of stellar bassist Alastair Hussain. which the band began recording last songs as they were sung. The songs wisdom that someone else brings to From the very beginning you felt a year. on ‘The City That Sleeps’ seem to the table, which will drive the song Silent Film were destined for greater “It’s hard for us to believe but we tell stories rather than simply reflect further.” things. The effort they put into began recording this album a year lyrical emotions. How much their shows, which even in small ago. We decided to gradually release inspiration do you get from NIGHTSHIFT IS TALKING TO pub venues would include back a few singles over the summer and literature as opposed to other Robert Stevenson, singer and pianist projections and TV sets that let people outside Oxford warm up sources? with rising local stars A Silent Film. showed all manner of weird and to us before unleashing the album, “There’s a huge influence from We’re discussing the band’s debut wonderful imagery, combining with and it seems to have worked. I films, not so much from literature. album, ‘The City That Sleeps’, the band’s epic, but intimate pop to wouldn’t change much; we’re Personally I’ve never been a big which was released last month on blur the lines between music and extremely proud of what the album reader, I find myself drifting off Xtra Mile Records. There is a cinema. represents. Any ideas we have now every few paragraphs.